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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27534469">Fractured Comet</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/reynesofcastamere/pseuds/reynesofcastamere'>reynesofcastamere</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Cracked Firmament [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dehumanization, F/M, Mental Instability, Past Abuse, Past Character Death, Past Violence, Speciesism, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unhealthy Relationships</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:00:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,233</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27534469</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/reynesofcastamere/pseuds/reynesofcastamere</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Everything he touches is eventually brought to ruin.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Darth Maul/Ahsoka Tano</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Cracked Firmament [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2012524</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Sequel to 'Fragile Stars'. Warnings for intrusive thoughts, mentions of abuse, violence, torture,death, etc. Sheev Palpatine is a f*cking terrible person and Maul’s mind is not a fun place to be even when he’s not having a breakdown. Cross-posted from tumblr. Unbeta’d.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="">
<p></p><div class=""><p>There is wisdom in knowing when to retreat. This, however, comes closer to <em>cowardice</em>. Maul scowls down at the datapad clenched in his right hand. The intel currently displayed on it is important, and all it would take to set up the exchange would be a simple holocall. A brief conversation, the satisfaction of business well done and the visceral pleasure of throwing another wrench into the gears of the Empire. Five months ago, he would have done it without hesitation. <strong>Relished</strong> the opportunity. even. But now....</p></div></div><div class="">
  <p>Maul’s exhale borders on a snarl, the Force thrashing like a wounded, dying thing in response to his mood. He cannot avoid he-<em>this</em> forever. Eventually there will be a stubborn, passionate former Padawan hunting him down to demand answers and ready to <strong>fight</strong> if he refuses to provide them. Anticipation coils deep in what remains of his abdomen, remembering her bruised and burnt, but not <em>beaten</em>, her bared teeth tinged red with his blood. Ahsoka Tano is <strong>magnificent</strong> when pushed to her limits, all pretenses of civility stripped away to expose the raw survival instinct within. Is it any wonder then, that he cannot <em>help</em> but provoke her whenever they occupy the same space?</p>
  <p>He has to set the datapad down, or else risk crushing it into scrap. Because <strong>how dare she</strong>? He has endured agonies that would have destroyed lesser beings, and she had thought to break him with nothing more than a few gentle touches and hushed words! <em>Kill her. </em>The Dark Side urges. <em>Corrupt her, make her fall. She is wasted in the Light.</em> <strong>Protect her, Brother.</strong> Savage’s ghost advises.<strong> You have the strength to-</strong> <s>Keep her, watch her, bind her to us.</s> His own voice cuts in, but different, tinged with madness and desperation.<strong><em> Give her to me, and regain your rightful place, your true destiny.</em></strong> Master Sidious hisses, poison concealed in glorious <strong>lies</strong>. The room around him shakes, a multitude of hair-thin cracks spreading rapidly along the floor. </p>
  <p>“<strong><em>Never</em></strong>.” Maul snarls. “Never again.” He will not settle for subservience, especially not the kind that comes with the constant threat of a blade to his throat. No, when he seizes the power that <em>belongs</em> to him, it will be over the Emperor’s smoking <strong>corpse</strong>. It must amuse Sidious greatly, to watch his broken tool scrabble in the garbage for baubles while he enjoys every decadence that could possibly be dreamed of. And therein lies the crux of his turmoil. If Ahsoka Tano becomes someone that Maul <em>fears</em> losing, his former Master will <strong>destroy</strong> her. Or worse, he will force Maul’s hand to strike the killing blow.</p>
  <p>Kilindi’s face swims briefly before his eyes. He’d sacrificed much to appease Sidious at Orsis Academy, secure in the belief that the ability to kill anyone, regardless of personal ties, made him <em>strong</em>. Time has proven him pitiably weak in so many regards. And all of these meandering thoughts are a <strong>waste of time</strong>. He will give the intel to one of his agents to pass onto her, as before. Whenever the inevitable confrontation takes place, he will deal with it. Until then-</p>
  <p>Somehow, he should not be<em> surprised</em> to find her slipping silently into his office moments after he just stood up. “Your stealth has greatly improved.” Maul observes, eyes narrowing. “Or my security detail is in dire need of <strong>replacements</strong>.” The menace in his tone is quiet, but no less palpable.</p>
  <p>“Saxon let me in.<em> Don’t</em> kill them.” Ahsoka informs him, bluntly honest as his jaw tics in aggravation. There are days where he severely regrets giving Death Watch the order to trigger their hidden explosives and escape Sundari. Their <strong>skills</strong> are useful, to be certain, as are those of the other Mandalorian malcontents joined to his cause; especially once the Nightbrothers were assimilated into their ranks. But Saxon has a rather annoying habit of making...<em>presumptions</em> about his personal life. No doubt Kast is somehow involved in this minor insubordination as well-His uninvited guest clears her throat pointedly. Right. Corrective discipline<strong> later</strong>. He has a much more pressing issue to attend to.</p>
  <p>“Haven’t heard from you on comms for a while.”</p>
  <p>“My end of the bargain is still being upheld. Has it not occurred to you that I have <em>several</em> planet-spanning organizations to run? <strong>Some</strong> level of delegation is required.”</p>
  <p>“Krayt spit.”</p>
  <p>“Would you care to elaborate, <em>Lady Tano</em>? Or simply waste your breath with <strong>backwater insults</strong>?” Every word is heavy with scorn as he crosses his arms. Maul’s unspoken message is clear enough. <em>You are not worth my time. Leave</em>.</p>
  <p>Any vague hope he might have harboured of her scoffing at his attitude and vacating his current headquarters is swiftly dashed when Ahsoka storms across the room and traps him between her body and the edge of his desk. It is only now he notices that she is still faintly coated with dust, a few fresh blaster burns dotting her biceps and slight bags under her eyes. She’s met with him after missions before, but never quite in such a...<em>disheveled</em> state. Maul doesn’t exactly know how to process this.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“You spend <strong>years</strong> taking every ‘safe’ opportunity to talk my montrals off, try to beat me into the ground, or ravish me against the nearest flat surface.” Determination hardens her gaze as she tears his excuse to bloody shreds. “And I’m supposed to believe this...<em>bantha fodder</em> that you’ve<strong> finally</strong> shut up because you’re ‘busy’. Tug the other lekku, and maybe pull your spiky, pretentious head out of your a-”</p>
  <p>“Is this a lover’s quarrel? How charmingly <em>domestic</em>. I didn’t think you <strong>cared</strong>.” He sneers, taking her face between his hands and capturing her mouth with a low rumble. She bites his lower lip in retaliation, but this is how it <em>should</em> be. Not soft, tender prayers written in whispers and trailing fingertips; Only bloody worship carved in pain and passioned screams.</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Welp, this turned out longer than I expected. For reference, both Kilindi and Orsis Academy are from Legends canon. The TL;DR is that Maul gets sent there for assassin training, makes a friend or two, and then Sheev orders him to murder everyone. Some fans have headcanoned that Maul’s single ear piercing was a gift from Kilindi and Daleen, which I like even if it is terribly sad. Also, yeah, we’re now firmly in AU territory in regards to the respective fate of certain Mandalorians as well as the Nightbrothers. Many thanks to captainmazzic and leftofrevolution for the excellent works that inspired this. And because, y’know, it would have been nice if the Nightbrothers hadn’t gone straight from centuries of brainwashing and slavery to the extinction of their entire subspecies within 30 years or less. Cheers!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welp, back into this flaming hot mess we go. Warnings for verbal/emotional abuse, misuse of the Force, intrusive thoughts, toxic communications and mentions of speciesism/dehumanization. Because the Empire sucks. Not gonna lie, some of the dialogue and actions taken in this chapter are reeeeallly unpleasant. So I’ve marked that section off with **** for the consideration of those who might want to skip it entirely.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="">
<p></p><div class=""><p>It takes little time and some effort to reverse their positions, perching her on the edge of his desk in the midst of their...vicious entanglement. Maul takes great satisfaction in the way she clutches his shoulders, how her tongue darts out to wet her full, kiss-swollen lips when they pause for breath. Somehow the first thought of her in these brief interludes of peace is <em>shereshoy</em>. She is fiercely, <strong>vibrantly</strong> alive in a way that he cannot help but <em>covet</em>. </p></div></div><div class="">
  <p>“<strong>Why</strong> are you here?” He follows the blunt inquiry by dragging his teeth down her throat, savouring her shaken intake of air. “Given your<em> many</em> complaints about ‘overblown monologuing’, I would expect you to welcome a less...<strong>verbose</strong> informant.” By which he means someone who gets directly to the point and <em>doesn’t</em> rub metaphorical fire salt into her wounds on a regular basis. Perhaps he’d missed some pertinent flaw in the agents assigned to handle this particular task? </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“You’re a vital asset to the Rebellion, and a walking target for the Inquisitors.” Which<strong> is</strong> the truth, but also hardly <em>new</em> information. “The Empire is getting more effective at tracking down Force users. There is...<strong>concern</strong> that you might be re-considering the arrangement.” Her statements are professional and measured. She’s learned how to lie and conceal her true feelings well, over the years. In another instance, he <em>might</em> have believed her, or at least let her deception pass without comment. Not so right now. <strong>Ah</strong>. Tano’s superiors are attempting to gauge whether Maul intends to save his own skin at their expense. He cannot help but laugh. “So you were sent as an <em>enticement</em> to dangle before me.” Maul scoffs derisively. “As if I were some Hutt lord to be distracted by a Twi’lek slave girl.” Her lips tighten, and the brief flare of her Force signature tells him that he has struck a nerve.<strong><em> Good.</em></strong> The very thought of it is an insult to them both. “That’s <strong>not</strong> why I’m here.” Ahsoka retorts, her gaze stubborn in a way that he <em>almost</em> finds endearing. “You’re not getting a different answer just because you don’t like what I have to say.” He hisses when one of her hands darts up lightning-quick, blunt nails digging into his nape. “ And you <strong>started</strong> this.” She pulls him in until their foreheads meet, breath mingling together in the scant space between them. Presenting herself as the immovable mountain to his wild tempest, though the cracks in the stone run deeper than she will <em>ever </em>admit.</p>
  <p> </p>
  <p>
    <strong>****</strong>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“<strong>Krayt spit</strong>.” He echoes back at her. “Your masters will use <em>every</em> method at their disposal to secure victory. Do not expect me to believe that you’ve never assigned or participated in seduction to succeed in your objectives, <strong>Fulcrum</strong>.” Before she can cut him off with an undoubtedly sharp response, he continues. “Or perhaps you believe yourself to be the <em>exception</em>?” The focus of his eyes drops and lingers on her lips. “That they would not seek to exploit the flawed perception of your species as exotic<strong> toys</strong>? How fortunate for them, to have your <em>considerable</em> talents and beauty at their disposal.” He purrs, equally cruel and enticing at once, using the Force to loosen her hold and dip his head, lips brushing the fine line between her jaw and neck. “Why, you’ve even secured the allegiance of a savage <strong>monster</strong> with your <em>charms</em>.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>She shoves him away with both her hands and the Force, cybernetics screeching against the stone floor. His own power and training keep him upright until he comes to a natural stop, twin hearts pounding with the prospect of a fight. Tano doesn’t reach for her ‘sabres, though. “<strong>Stop. Talking</strong>.” The voice that issues the order is hard and embittered as she stands, brushing off her clothing and harshly rubbing at her mouth with the back of one hand. As if to remove all traces of him from her body. “Maker, this has to be the <em>worst </em>recruitment pitch you’ve <strong>ever</strong> given.” There is an invisible pressure keeping his mouth shut. Clearly, she does not expect him to respect or obey her command without<em> reinforcement</em>. In her current estimation, he is an akk dog in desperate need of a <strong>muzzle</strong>. “The only thing you can <em>actually</em> give me is a lifetime of sharing your misery, because you can’t bear to <strong>suffer </strong>alone.”  There is a faint trembling in her eyes and limbs. Adrenaline, or fatigue. He catalogues this even as his cold fury <em>breaks</em> her would-be gag.</p>
  <p>Maul works his jaw a bit, hands primly coming to rest behind his back. He could <strong>strangle</strong> her for what she’d just done, let it be a lesson of just which one of them has spent <em>years</em> honing pain, fear, and anger into deadly weapons. And yet, he has a point to make that such a gesture would not serve. “I have not forced you into <strong>any</strong> aspect of this alliance, Ahsoka Tano.” He states, devastatingly soft and certain. “And despite your much-vaunted convictions, you enjoy our...<em>entanglements</em>.”</p>
  <p>“You actually believe that.” Ahsoka’s voice takes on a hollow quality as she speaks, a single, harsh laugh escaping from her twisted mouth. “Coercion and goading damn well count as ‘force’, last I checked.” Her arms cross, hands clenching the crook of her elbows. “I thought you had at least some <strong>sliver</strong> of respect for me as a <em>person</em>. <strong><em>Thank you</em></strong> so much for <strong>finally</strong> being honest, <em>Lord Maul</em>. I’ll see myself out.”  He holds up a hand the moment she takes a step forward, causing her to halt with barely-concealed impatience.</p>
  <p>
    <strong>**** </strong>
  </p>
  <p> </p>
  <p>There is an opportunity here, to correct her assumptions. Most of the voices within his head are practically <strong>screaming</strong> at him to do so. Her <em>body</em> is not what he desires to possess, even if he finds pleasure in their coupling. He would not spare a second thought if she was inclined to take the entire Rebellion into her bed. Instead, he lets her read what she will from his impassive expression and tightly-leashed control of the Dark Side. “You will want to take that.” Maul indicates the datapad still on the desk. “Intelligence reports from the Kashyyk and Lasan systems. Brother Viscus will comm you to handle the transaction.” He watches her scrutinize him for a few seconds before picking up the offered item and striding past him, maintaining a carefully set distance.</p>
  <p>For a moment, he hesitates. “Ahsoka-” She’s already slipped out the door and slammed it behind her. He does nothing as her presence steadily retreats. At least, until two pairs of footsteps approach soon afterwards, followed by Saxon’s low curse and Rook’s deadpan statement that he owed her fifty credits. The door flies open again under Maul’s own Force pull, infernal glare boring into his second-and-third-in-command. “Both of you will report to the training hall <em>immediately</em>.” His tone leaves no doubt in their minds that they will <strong>bleed</strong> before he is done with them, even as they reply with “<em>Yes, my Lord</em>.” And hasten to follow his order. The moment Maul exits the room, it shatters and collapses behind him, dust billowing around his feet . The guards stationed in the corridor are visibly <em>terrified</em>,even with the concealment their helmets afford them. “Organize a repair crew.” He instructs, calm as the grave, paying no heed to their shaking salutes as he stalks past them.</p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <strong>What is the loss of one more person, when he has multitudes to rule and an Empire to ruin?</strong>
    </em>
  </p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ouch. Yeah, any chance of actual smut happening in this fic pretty much flew out the window once Maul started on that speech. Ah well. Good thing I’m not quite done with these interconnected stories yet. Fun sidenote: I did some research on Mandalorian culture &amp; customs regarding relationships, marriage(same-sex and otherwise), courting, and family. While I still think most of  the Mando’ade are capable of being Drama Monarchs on par with a good chunk of Sith Lords, said customs are remarkably chill and simple. Which is why I can easily picture Kast and Saxon just continually side-eyeing these weird darjetiise over the years trying to figure out WTF their deal is and developing a running bet. For the record, Saxon thinks they’re married and just didn’t tell anyone, Kast has her money on them being divorced and not quite over it yet. Anyway, I’ve rambled long enough.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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